Hiking the Amarmino

A 27 km. daytrip with varied terrain and unbeliavably little transportation to the trailhead. Come along on a day hike just outside Copenhagen. Hiking the Amarmino is a must-do for all nature lovers visiting the supposedly greatest city in the world (I agree 😊).

It was very early as I crawled out of bed, but in high summer, this does not stop the sun from sending a piercing light through the windows of my tiny apartment and directly into my drowsy brain. Ouch!

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07:30 – An Early Start (0 km.)

Right then, I felt like hiding under my blanket and not at all like taking a 27 kilometer hike. Weird! I had looked forward to this little breathing space in nature for a whole week. And of course my sentiment changed soon after, as the bus from central Copenhagen took me away from houses and shops and into a land of trees and coastline.

I was almost ready. A quick walk form the bus stop trough the charming, but still sleeping, village of Dragør took me to the boulder marking the trailhead for the Amarmino. A short hike with a well deserved amount of hype. Not wilderness, but lots of varied nature on the doorstep of a major city. What’s not to like. For locals and tourists alike this is a real treat. But it was time for me to start hiking the Amarmino.

Blankets and tiredness forgotten, I set a quick pace for what would become a warm day. My sunblock was forgotten back home. My water bottle was…oh no….empty. Maybe a bit more preparation and thoroughness would have helped, but for this one-day trip, I felt optimistic that I would survive. I settled for learning an important lesson or two for next time.

The trail itself was a pleasure from the very start. Leaving Dragør behind I enjoyed the rugged Coastline of and clear skies over Øresund. Blue heaven, blue ocean. Harmony ensued in my mind as one foot was placed in front of the other.

Several kilometres came and went with sand, grass and gravel underfoot. I even passed som rich-people abodes of enviable architectural oomph! and with awesome ocean views. Well, at least the views were available to me too. For a short while.

A Small Step for Man, but A GIANT!!! (7 km.)

Next, the path turned north and inland. A nice walk through shady trees, and I felt relaxed and, dare I say, happy. But danger was near! Between the trees, I saw a monstrous shape. Something huge lurked in the trees! I got closer. It was…it was a…a giant named Bjarke.

Yes, I had found one of the famous wooden giants which is hiding all over Denmark. They are made by artist Thomas Damsbo, and it is nigh impossible not to love them. Actually not scary at all, the giants seem like friendly guardians that blend into their natural environs in a way that is hard to describe with words other than PERFECT!

I lingered briefly, before bidding my colossal wooden friend goodbye. And then went deeper into the Kongelunden forest.

This is a great place for enjoying typical Danish forest, but with a great number of different tree types. And interestingly, it is kind of artificial, because all the trees were cut down a few hundred years ago to build warships. Since then, forward planning kings have ordered new trees to be planted, and I sent them a grateful thought, as the quiet woods gave me a feeling of deep calm with occasional rays of sunlight warming my face. Lovely.

A Whiff of the Ocean (11 km.)

As the trees started to thin out after a few kilometers, I had an unhealthy Müesli Bar snack and then went on to see more lovely coastline and sea. The smell of the ocean provided fresh energy for setting a brisk pace. Views were magnificent and I even got to say hello to some friendly horses grazing on the meadows behind the beach itself.

At this point, I was about 10 kilometers in and it wasn’t even noon yet. I would be back in Copenhagen well before evening. Oh well, walking slowly is – strangely – not how I enjoy the Tranquil Trails of Denmark. The more I relax my brain, the faster my feet seem to take me forward.

Magical Trees (14 km.)

This beach section was great, but short, and after a bit of zigzagging inland, I found myself wandering through a magical land of white barked trees with ethereal foliage partly masking the bright sunlight. I had reached The Pentecost Forest, Pinseskoven in Danish, and this was the best part yet.

Difficult to describe in words, there is just something about birch trees. And having loads of them together like this, creates a truly enchanting ambiance. Also, this is the largest birchwood in Denmark, which unlike the Kongelunden is entirely selfmade by nature for my enjoyment. Thank you!

An Uncommon Copenhagen Common (17 km.)

When I left the white trees behind with a sad sigh, I also noted that had I been exhausted this would be the place to cut the Amarmino in half. A long paved track would take me quickly to a Metro station and home, if I had been so inclined. I was not! I gazed across the mighty meadows of Kalvebod Common. A wonderland for cows and birds alike, but certainly a nice change of view for me.

My eyes could wander the longest distance, while my feet were going to get a lot of work now. The path went on and on in a pretty straight line, but the open land was a true pleasure to gaze upon.

I did cut the long trek in half, by resting on a convenient bench to devour my lunch pack. Ahhh. And the on and on towards my third and final encounter with the water surrounding the Amarmino and the island of Amager.

Civilization ahead (19 km.)

Finally, I came to the end of the gravel path and found myself in a somewhat more civilized area. A major highway passed overhead and across the water, while a paved coastal walk pointed towards Copenhagen in the distance.

I did first enjoy an area known as Byskoven, which is a sort of plantation with endangered or rare trees that aren’t found anywhere else in Denmark. While still young and undeveloped, this woodland is a great project. Kudos, to those who do the work and pay the bills for such a nice forward looking idea. I couldn’t climb the small trees, but I did climb an observation tower constructed in Viking style.

I also found a toilet with running water. Thank YOU! Boy, did I promise myself to never leave without a full tank of H2O ever again. Gulp gulp gulp – so refreshing!

Enduring slightly sore feet from having slogged 17 kilometers at high speed, I still made good progress on the paved road towards Copenhagen skyline in the distance.

This place was quite crowded, so while I enjoyed walking next to the water of the harbour inlet, I generally found this bit of sidewalk to be less interesting than everything else when hiking the Amarmino.

Final stretch through the Lovely Amagerfælled (25 km.)

Luckily, I soon passed under another well-trafficked road and then entered the lovely Amager Common (Amagerfælled). It is a slightly wild area though having well maintained paths all over. I have been here many times, and it is always enjoyable.

Those last kilometres of the days’ hike went by way too fast, but they did nicely round off an excellent hike. I reached the marker stone at the end (or beginning) of the Amarmino and all I needed was a celebratory beer to enjoy while thinking back on varied landscapes of shady forests, rugged coasts and the vast meadows of Kalvebod Common. All in all – a great day. Thank you Amarmino.